Lakota Tech High School

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Lakota Tech High School is a public high school in unincorporated Oglala Lakota County, South Dakota, near the Pine Ridge census-designated place and with a Pine Ridge postal address. [1] It is in the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It is a part of the Oglala Lakota County School District.

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Its high school program is one of five high schools that are within the boundaries of the reservation. [2] Additionally, of all of the public high schools on Indian reservations, it is the only one focusing on technical and career-oriented curricula. [3]

History

Previously the district did not operate a high school building and required high school students staying with the district to attend virtual school. [4]

In August 2019, the district and the state of South Dakota began a partnership to establish the first non-Bureau of Indian Education public high school on the reservation. [5] Kristi Noem, Governor of South Dakota, jointly announced this with management of the school district. [6]

In July 2019, the district hired Stephanie Eisenmenger as the first principal. [7] Groundbreaking occurred in November 2019. There were plans to open in-person use of the school earlier, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic in South Dakota the school itself was not yet open in July 2020. It is centered on career and technical education (CTE). [8] The district had anticipated that about 100 students would enroll at the school. [9] The school opened in fall 2020. [10]

The enrollment at the end of the 2020–2021 school year was almost 400. [9]

In 2022, the Lieutenant Governors' STEM Scholarship Program gave the school $1,000 as an award because the curricula had science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) content, and the funds were to be used on weather-related content. [3]

Athletics

By February 2021, the gymnasium opened, and that month it began its athletics programs; the school is not under tribal law so, during the COVID-19 pandemic, it did not have to follow tribal directives to end athletics temporarily. This meant would-be athletes transferred to Lakota Tech. [10] In November 2020, the South Dakota High School Activities Association (SDHSAA) decided that a student wishing to participate in a school athletics program at a particular school may move to that school if the student's previous school had suspended its own athletics programs. [11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Home". Lakota Tech High School. Retrieved January 11, 2022. 14 New Wolf Creek Road Pine Ridge, SD 57770 - Compare with the Pine Ridge CDP map. The school has a Pine Ridge postal address but is not in the CDP.
  2. ↑ Haenchen, Brian (August 13, 2020). "Multiple Native American schools opt to cancel or suspend fall sports; All Nations pushed to spring". Argus Leader . Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  3. 1 2 "Lakota Tech receives STEM award". Rapid City Journal . Rapid City, South Dakota. August 19, 2022. p. A3. - Clipping at Newspapers.com.
  4. ↑ Kaczke, Lisa (August 29, 2019). "South Dakota, Oglala Lakota schools to construct first public high school on Pine Ridge". Argus Leader . Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  5. ↑ Murat, Megan (September 18, 2019). "Work continues in constructing Oglala Lakota County high school". News Center 1. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  6. ↑ "State, Oglala Lakota school district agree to build high school on Pine Ridge Reservation". Rapid City Journal . August 29, 2019. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  7. ↑ Crash, Tom (August 15, 2019). "SCHOOLS START SOON". Lakota Times . Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  8. ↑ Dickens, Chelsea (July 22, 2020). "Lakota Tech registration begins but district's back to school plan is "work in progress"". KNBN News Center 1. Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  9. 1 2 "Lakota Tech High School finishes first year". KNBN News Center 1. June 4, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Case, Matt (February 4, 2021). "First-year Lakota Tech hoops enjoying the benefits of transfers across the Pine Ridge Reservation". Rapid City Journal . Retrieved August 1, 2021.
  11. ↑ Case, Matt (February 5, 2021). "Talented gathering". Rapid City Journal . Rapid City, South Dakota. pp. B1, B3. - See first and second page at Newspapers.com.

43°02′43″N102°27′32″W / 43.04535°N 102.45881°W / 43.04535; -102.45881

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